Lynnesta Val'kirn
Prologue " No matter what, remember the life of a servant, for the light loves all of us. We should not fight our friends, but protect them." Appearance Lynnesta Val'kirn features deep, azure blue eyes and often allows her long, silvery blonde hair to flow freely with the wind. Her warm gaze and demeanor illuminates a kindness and compassion within, welcoming expression eluding to a sense of love and empathy for all, despite her small physical stature. Lynnesta's physical strength and battle scars would be readily apparent without her armor, which she seldom goes without, generally wearing at minimum long sleeves concealing the marks of battle upon her. Armor Her finely crafted armor is armor is a welcome sight to the eye, and speaks of her inner and physical strength. Adorned with silver and blue and metallic pauldrons shaped into elegant wing shapes. Gold trim along the wings is intricately carved down to the center for an avian-like feel, recently amplified by the addition of what appears to be paper but glowing as feathers to reveal the Thalassian text " In memory of those who are gone". The mighty blue tabard of the Silver Hand covers much of her chest, though without the tabard a corseted top would be revealed, a blue and green gem on her back held in place by metal clasps. Donning white and gold gloves, boots and legplates matching her pauldrons, her belt features something special; a tome clasped tightly to it, seemingly well cared for and of great importance to Lynnesta. Biography Lynnesta's parentage is unknown, her earliest memories those of a small orphanage along the Arathi mountain range. Despite being one of the smaller children, she was a handful as young child, caretakers often chasing the energetic Quel'dorei girl about. Lynn recalls this earliest period fondly, as a time of fun and adventures, before the weight of the world began to make itself known. That all changed when she was six, with bandit raids from the surrounding hills all too common, she returned one day to find the adults whom tended to her in a small home slain, the burnt aroma of fires set fresh in the air, all valuables sacked and looted. Though too young to have rightfully been let out of the sight of an adult, Lynn knew the place unsafe for a child, and with the livestock slain, no means of sustaining herself. With little save the clothes on her back, the small Quel'dorei girl left the only home she'd known on her own, wandering until at last she came upon a small church in which she found refuge, unaware of the long journey she was to begin... A Lesson with the Priesthood Having found sanctuary within the walls of a church, Lynnesta's earliest training was that of prayer and belief, her earliest lessons by the local priest, a human named Father Leroy Bastton, speaking of the strength the Light could grant to those devoted to the cause of good. As with the other elven children present, prayer was one of the few times Lynnesta was still. Over the years praying and fostering her commitment, with her embrace of the Light, the compassionate woman she is today began taking shape. She remained with Father Bastton until the age of fifteen, when a group of templars on a long journey stopped at the humble church for the night. Lynnesta was entranced by the noble warriors of the Light, unable to stop staring upon them. Lynn took particular note of a lighter-garbed woman among them whom would in time become her trainer, as Faster Bastton recognized the spark ignited within her and persuaded the Templars to take Lynnesta to train in their ways. Battle Cleric Training The woman Lynnesta is today began to fully take form during her time training as a battle cleric, through years of intense training and grueling labor, the child would grow into the woman she is today, a Battle Cleric. She learned to view the Light not as a tool, as a mage might view the arcane, but a beacon of hope and source of inspiration to herself and those whom would come to rely on her in combat. Her teacher was strict though fair, drilling into Lynnesta and the other students that if a Battle Cleric was to fall before the knights and templars relying on her, that they too would be lost, and instilled in her that she may well die during her duties, sacrificing herself for the good of others if the need arose, though ever mindful that SHE was the beacon of Light the soldiers relied upon, learning to wear armor as heavy as that of the Templars whom originally captivated her. During fifteen years of training as a Battle Cleric, Lynnesta came to comprehend much of the knowledge and talent she holds today, and grew strong both in the Light and her compassion for others. Viewing her teacher as a mother figure, the well-known difference in lifespans between humans and elves however made it apparent that it was time for her to move on. Her teacher - Lynn is unable to recall the woman's name due to the trauma which transpired, took her own life with a sword, falling despite Lynn's best efforts to stabilize her and in doing so, passing on one final lesson, one that would come to hold a special place not only to Lynn, but to the whole of her race - loss. With this final lesson, Lynn knew she had learned all motherly teacher could bestow upon her, taking the final lesson as one of great importance. The Fall of Stromguard This was the fourth time Lynn had taken up arms to defend her home, again once more was the horde as the ones that threatened it. Though she was not prepared one bit for what was to come. First was the open hostility that she received from her own people, secondly, the number of people that did respond to the call. Though her heart heavy as she joined the fight on the field. Much to her friend's displeasure, though she would not let her homeland fall while she could do something about it. As it looked like the alliance was winning this siege something did happen that even shook her beliefs. Plauge, the forsaken came in with their vile concoction of death, Helpless to stop this, she had the wounded evacuated with the civilians to Dalaran, refusing to leave until the last soul of the nation had left. Though part of her wanted to chase down her own horse, Maximus, who had gone missing. Her thoughts of the trusted horse and friend of hers for so long. Loosing her ranch and even her horses, paled in comparison to the harm that watching her home being under siege of the forsaken war machine. These images of having to burn houses to slow the plauge down, and watching people run in terror of the plauge that was threatening all, are burnt into her mind. Friendships and Influential people Zaria Blackmoore The first person Lynn came to call a friend, after going through a period of difficult lessons, was Zaria Blackmoore, sharing Lynnesta's love for coffee, the women bonded in Icecrown while serving with the Argent Crusade during the campaign against Icecrown Citadel. Lynn grew more sensitive to Zaria upon learning of her mother's passing, watching our for her in the field, and ensuring shenanigans during downtime kept her spirits up, most memorable is an alleged incident involving coffee spiked with a bowel movement inducing substance; Zaria remains a pillar of support and friendship Lynnesta would go to great length to protect, despite the length to which they went to torment one another with their jovial pranks. Having spent a time apart, the two women are able to spend more time together of late, if their passion seems to have transitioned to baked goods, with Zaria often offering Lynn's two eldest children ice cream, the bond between the women has remained true through the years, and is one of great value to Lynn. Aeriyth Dawnsorrow Lynnesta remains unsure if her meeting Aeriyth Dawnsorrow was by fate or chance. When the women first met they seldom spoke, their only bond being the fact they were both Quel'dorei, which meant little at first. Their first fateful meeting came during the Second siege of Stromguard, with Lynnesta serving under Mathilan Lionblood, she witnessed the Quel'dorei forces of the Highguard during the campaign. Having grown up among humans, Lynnesta was distrustful of her own people, viewing her kind as arrogant, though with time she warmed to Aeriyth, and eventually left Stromguard to join with Aeriyth and the Highguard, and for the first time in her life, to live mostly among those of her own kind. With an extended deployment on Draenor, what was initially duty alone grew into something closer to family, with Lynn and Aeriyth growing truly close while on the planet, with their lighthearted shenanigans a welcome respite from the combat. Their relationship and mischief remains as such back in Dalaran, with Lynnesta telling Aeriyth she's "grounded" typically at least once a week. Elhanan Lightmender Lynnesta's newest friendship with Elhanan Lightmender began through shared duty, with Elhanan serving as second in command of the Highguard's mercy sect. Lynn would soon come to rely on him for emotion support, though Elhanan would soon be in emotional upheaval of his own, with the lost of his beloved wife, leaving behind two twins and a grieving Elhanan. The two grew close as kin in the wake of these tragic events, though Lynn, with an ever mounting stack of duties, would be faced with a difficult decision not long as her friendship with Elhanan began to truly take form. She struggled, and to an extent still does to accept that despite the importance of her work, it cannot be her sole motivation in life, and that making time to foster friendships and bonds was not to be overlooked. This is an aspect Lynnesta struggles with still, seeking falah between her duties and her own life. Of late she may take to the occasional fine cigar to help unwind from a busy and often stressful day. Melony Caravelle As mercy grew, so did Lynn's friendships, upon meeting a priestess named Melony. Seeing the closeness between Elhanan and Melony, Lynn's trust was quickly gained. The human priestess soon became another important figure in Lynn's life, other than Zaria, who's life was busy. She provided Lynn a connection of friendship, through their work, it became apparent to Lynn how much Melony had found her way into Lynn's heart. Eventually it would lead up to Lynn training her in combat and how to wear armor. Teaching her how to become a cleric just like herself. Imperfections of a Battle Cleric Lynn is not afraid to challenge her own shortcomings, despite being an elf whom has risen high over great challenges in her youth. She contains many of her inner thoughts and concerns within, though at times their telltale presence is apparent in her body language. Lynnesta seems to have a knack for getting into some sort of trouble, at times her compassion causing her to act inappropriately, and has been known to anger some to the point of striking a wall or perhaps herself. Lynn is a snarky one though, and has difficulty taking such things herself, though with her overriding sense of compassion, she'd be the first one to jump in front of an arrow aimed at the same person. Having experienced much of abandonment, Lynn clings to her close friends and can get rather childish at times among them, though her temper, and swing, retain the sharpness of adulthood. Due to unknown reasons, Lynn has stepped down from the position of Cleric General and the Champion of Compassion. The reasons still remain secret to all except to her and two others that Lynn has confided in. Pets and Companions Lynnesta's most notable pet, is her beloved sprite darter she calls Squiggy, whom has grown quite popular among the Highguard for its devious nature. Squiggy is quite the trickster and can typically be seen attempting to drive Lynnesta to the point of jumping off Dalaran, or when calmer, sitting perched atop her head. Snowberries are a good way to gain the magical creature's attention, whom seems to devour anything sweet. In contrast to Squiggy's miniature stature, Maximus is a towering warhorse, appearing to be of mixed breed, with some some of his physical features resembling that of an Alterac or Gilnean Draft Horse, though with the swiftness of an Arathi or Quel'dorei steed. Due to the devious nature of Lynn's friends, Maximus as with Squiggy, is also fond of sweetness, though in his case, sugar cubes are preferred. Category:High Elf Category:The Highguard Category:Characters Category:The Citrine Eagle Category:Clerics Category:Knights